Key Takeaways
- Sale prices are steady: Redfin's Billings median sale price was about $390,000 over the three months ending August 2026, up 0.5% (Redfin, August 2026).
- Values keep inching up: Zillow's typical Billings value was $400,819 in August 2026, up 2.5% and the highest in its series (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026).
- Winter thins the field: new metro listings fell to 162 in December 2025, fewer than half of July 2026's count (Realtor.com, 2026).
- Non-primary houses cost more to hold: Montana's 2026 flat 1.90% rate on second homes and short-term rentals raises carrying costs for those owners.
- Condition picks the path: a sound house can list with confidence, while an older house with deferred repairs may fit a cash sale better.
The Billings housing market 2026 story is a steady one. Prices are holding, sales are close to last year's pace, and the typical house still takes about two months to sell. For a seller doing the math, the real questions are timing, condition, and cost.
Every figure below is sourced and dated, with Redfin and Zillow kept separate. The last section shows which sellers can list with confidence and where a cash sale fits.
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Let's chatWhat is the Billings housing market doing in 2026?
The Billings housing market is flat to slightly up in 2026, with prices holding and sales near last year's pace. Redfin reports a median sale price of $389,642, about $390,000, over the three months ending August 2026 (Redfin, August 2026). That is up 0.5% from a year earlier.
The median house sold after 61 days on the market, compared with 63 days a year before. Redfin counted 523 houses sold in August, down 1.1% from 529.
Zillow's Home Value Index for the city was $400,819 in August 2026, up 2.5% from a year earlier (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026). That is the highest monthly reading in the index's history.
Billings market snapshot
| Metric | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price (3 months) | $389,642, up 0.5% YoY | Redfin | August 2026 |
| Median days on market | 61, down from 63 | Redfin | August 2026 |
| Houses sold in the month | 523, down from 529 | Redfin | August 2026 |
| Typical value, city (ZHVI) | $400,819, up 2.5% YoY | Zillow ZHVI | August 2026 |
| Typical value, metro (ZHVI) | $409,829, up 2.7% YoY | Zillow ZHVI | August 2026 |
| Active listings, metro | 873, up 5.4% YoY | Realtor.com | August 2026 |
| Nonfarm jobs, metro | 95,200, down 2.0% YoY (preliminary) | Bureau of Labor Statistics | August 2026 |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 7.03% | Freddie Mac PMMS | Week of September 24, 2026 |
Why do Redfin and Zillow show different Billings MT home prices?
Redfin and Zillow show different Billings MT home prices because they measure different things. Redfin's figure is the median of houses that actually sold in the period. Zillow's index estimates the typical value of every house in the city, whether it sells or not.
In Billings the two land about $11,000 apart. That suggests the houses selling now resemble the city's overall stock.
Use Redfin for what recent buyers paid and Zillow for the direction of values. Neither one prices a specific house, and the two should never be averaged.
Billings MT Home Prices by Area: the Heights, South Side, and West End
Billings MT home prices vary by about $200,000 between ZIP codes, from the older South Side to the newer far West End. The figures below are Zillow's typical values for August 2026 only (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026):
- 59106 (far West End, Shiloh Road corridor): $542,716, up 0.7%, still below its February 2025 high of $549,182
- 59105 (the Heights): $419,100, up 3.5%
- 59102 (central Billings and the older West End): $382,488, up 2.1%
- 59101 (downtown, the South Side, and North Elevation): $333,276, up 2.9%
ZIP lines do not follow neighborhood lines exactly, so treat each figure as a guide to its part of town.
The Rimrocks divide the city
The Rimrocks are sandstone cliffs that wall the north edge of Billings. Below them, the older city spreads across the Yellowstone River valley. Across the rims to the northeast sits the Heights, a newer and largely residential side of town.
The valley holds downtown, the South Side, and North Elevation, where many houses date to the early 1900s. The Heights grew later, and much of the far West End is newer still.
The Heights
The Heights posted the strongest gain of the four ZIP codes, at 3.5%. A well-kept Heights house often draws financed buyers who want space at a price below the far West End.
The South Side and the river-valley stock
ZIP 59101 carries the lowest typical value of the four, and it still rose 2.9%. Houses here are older, often with original wiring, aging sewer lines, or basement foundations that have moved over many freeze-thaw seasons.
The West End
The West End runs from established streets near the center out to newer subdivisions past Shiloh Road. The newer end carries the city's highest values but gained the least this year.
Jobs, Population, and Mortgage Rates
Steady health care hiring and slow population growth support Billings demand, while 7% mortgage rates limit what financed buyers can pay.
Hospitals, refineries, and rail
Billings is the medical, energy, and rail center for a wide stretch of Montana and Wyoming. Billings Clinic and St. Vincent are the two regional hospitals. The three area refineries and BNSF's rail operations add industrial payrolls.
Education and health services, the sector that includes both hospitals, employed about 18,500 people in the Billings metro in August 2026, up 2.2% (BLS, August 2026, preliminary). Manufacturing, which includes refining, held near 4,100 jobs. Total nonfarm jobs were 95,200, down 2.0%.
A growing county
Yellowstone County keeps adding residents. The Census Bureau estimates its population at 172,692 on July 1, 2025, up from an April 2020 base of 164,726 (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates). That is growth of about 4.8% in five years. Billings itself held about 121,200 people, the most of any Montana city.
Mortgage rates
The 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.03% in the week of September 24, 2026, up from 6.95% a week earlier (Freddie Mac PMMS, September 24, 2026). A year earlier it averaged 6.30%. Higher rates cut what a financed buyer can borrow.
How does winter change a Billings sale?
Winter brings fewer listings, fewer buyers, and longer waits in Billings. Realtor.com counted 162 new listings in the Billings metro in December 2025, against 354 in July 2026 (Realtor.com, August 2026 data). Listings also sat longer: a median of 78 days in December, against 45 in May.
Realtor.com's listing-based count differs from Redfin's, but the seasonal swing is clear. A house listed in November can sit into spring.
Snow can hide roof and grading problems until an inspector finds them. A vacant house needs steady heat to protect its pipes. In August 2026, about one in five metro listings had a price cut (Realtor.com, August 2026).
The 2026 Property Tax Change for Non-Primary Houses
Montana's 2026 property tax change raises the yearly cost of holding a Billings house that is not the owner's primary residence or a long-term rental. Owner-occupied houses and long-term rentals that qualify get tiered rates. The first $378,000 of market value is taxed at 0.76%, and the portion up to $756,000 at 0.90% (Montana Department of Revenue, 2026).
Second homes, short-term rentals, and vacant residential lots carry a flat 1.90% rate on their full value. Montana multiplies market value by this rate to set taxable value, and local mill levies apply to that. On a house near Zillow's typical Billings value, the flat rate produces roughly two and a half times the taxable value of the tiered rates.
Owners who live in their house get the tiered rates. The flat rate matters for an out-of-town owner, a landlord between tenants, or an heir holding a vacant house. If the taxes have already fallen behind, the guide to Montana property tax liens and the redemption window covers what happens next.
What should sellers expect from the Billings housing market?
Billings sellers should expect a stable price, a sale of about two months, and a buyer pool that depends on condition and season. Buyers have time to compare, and financed buyers bring inspectors and appraisers.
Who can list with confidence
A well-kept house in the Heights or the West End can often list with confidence, especially from spring through early fall. The same goes for a South Side house with an updated roof, furnace, and electrical. If you have two months or more and no major defects, listing may net you more than a cash sale.
Who is likely to hit an appraisal or inspection problem
- Older valley houses: original wiring, clay sewer lines, and cracked basement walls often turn up at inspection.
- Unpermitted work: a finished basement or addition built without a permit can stall a lender and must be disclosed.
- Houses with few nearby sales: an appraisal can come in under the contract price, and the lender lends only on the appraisal.
- Vacant houses in winter: heat, insurance, and taxes keep running while the listing waits for spring.
Montana sellers must give buyers a written statement of adverse material facts they actually know about, covering items like the roof, foundation, and unpermitted work (Mont. Code Ann. § 70-20-502). The guide to Montana seller disclosure requirements explains the 3-day rule and exemptions.
Three ways to sell, compared
| Path | Time | Cost to you | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| List as-is | Redfin's 61-day median to sell, plus the lender's closing period; longer in winter | Agent commission, seller closing costs, and any price cut or repair credit | Rests on the buyer's inspection, appraisal, and loan approval |
| List after repairs | Repair time first, then the listing period | Repair bills paid up front, carrying costs during the work, plus listing costs | Fewer inspection surprises, but the appraisal still sets the loan amount |
| Cash sale | Can close in as few as 7 days, or on the date you choose | No commissions or fees charged to you; the price reflects the house as it stands | No lender appraisal, loan approval, or financing contingency |
Where a cash offer fits
A cash sale can fit when a house would struggle with an inspector or an appraiser, or when winter would stretch the wait. Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, founded in 2026 and based in Nashville, that buys houses as-is as a principal. Our offers are based on local market data. We'll show you how we got to our number.
Sellers pay no fees or commissions, and you pick the closing date. A Montana title and escrow company handles the closing, which can often happen in as few as 7 days. No date is promised before a contract. The offer stands while you compare, with no pushy follow-up, and if listing looks like your stronger path, we'll say so.
To see an as-is number, you can request a cash offer on your Billings house. You can also read how Propcash works as a Billings cash buyer for houses in any condition, or start from the Montana seller overview.
Why wait? Sell your house “as is” for cash today
Tell us about your house. We'll make you a cash offer based on local market data.
Let's chatFrequently Asked Questions
What is the median sale price in Billings, MT in 2026?
Redfin reports a median sale price of about $390,000 for Billings over the three months ending August 2026, up 0.5% from a year earlier (Redfin, August 2026). Zillow's typical value for the city was $400,819 in August 2026, up 2.5% (Zillow ZHVI, August 2026).
Are Billings MT home prices going up or down?
Billings MT home prices are rising slowly in 2026. Redfin's median sale price was up 0.5% year over year in the three months ending August 2026. Zillow's typical value rose 2.5% over the same year and reached the highest reading in its series.
How long does it take to sell a house in Billings right now?
The median Billings house sold after 61 days on the market over the three months ending August 2026, compared with 63 days a year earlier (Redfin, August 2026). Houses that need repairs, or that list in winter, can take longer.
Is winter a bad time to sell a house in Billings?
Winter is slower in Billings, but it is not closed. Realtor.com counted 162 new listings in the Billings metro in December 2025, fewer than half of July 2026's 354, and listings sat longer. A sound house can still sell in winter, but a seller who needs a firm date may prefer a sale without showings.
Does Montana's 2026 property tax change affect Billings sellers?
It mainly affects owners of houses that are not a primary residence or a long-term rental. The Montana Department of Revenue applies a flat 1.90% rate to second homes and short-term rentals in 2026, while qualifying primary residences get tiered rates starting at 0.76%. For an owner holding an empty or second house in Billings, that is a higher yearly carrying cost to weigh.
How fast can a cash sale close in Billings?
A direct cash sale in Billings can often close in as few as 7 days, though no date is promised before a contract is signed. Montana closings run through a title and escrow company, with no attorney requirement. With Propcash, the seller picks the closing date, so a later date works too.
Data sources: Redfin, Zillow, Realtor.com, Freddie Mac, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Montana Department of Revenue, each dated in the text. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.